Heel pin structure



Aug. 2, 1966 c. D. TONEY, JR

HEEL PIN STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 13, 1962 INVENTOR CHARLES E. TONEK J'R.

United States Patent 3,263,349 HEEL PEN STRUKITURE Charles D. Torrey, lira, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to The Auto- Soler Company, a corporation of Georgia Filled Feb. 13, 1962, her. No. 173,659 8 Claims. (fill. 36--34) The present invention relates to heel pin structures for strengthening the heel blocks of ladies shoes, particularly the slender heel blocks of presently popular shoes having so-called spike heels; and this invention provides uniquely for such heel block strengthening in a manner that allows effective top lift replacement by normal shoe repair procedures.

Slender heels that require strengthening are now commonly reinforced during original manufacture with long, metal, nail-like heel pins extending into the heel blocks from the tread ends thereof and to which top lifts are attached as by embedding the end of the heel pins in the top lifts or otherwise securing the top lifts to the heel pins without the use of conventional top lift fasteners, which cannot normally be driven into the metal pins. Also there is not normally sufficient area remaining at the tread ends of slender :heel blocks outside of the area occupied by the pins to receive and hold top lift fasteners adequately, or without a likelihood of splitting or otherwise damaging the heel block. This is particularly so where, as is presently common, the slender heel blocks are made of special materials, such as plastic or glass, that cannot readily receive fasteners without damage in the limited area available.

Due to these difficulties in using conventional fasteners it is now common practice to form the top lifts to the heel pins as composite units before inserting the heel pins into the heel blocks. These composite heel pin-top lift units are now used both by the manufacturer in original shoe manufacture and by the repair shop in replacing worn or otherwise damaged top lifts. This requires shoe repair shops to stock a considerable inventory of composite units in order to have available a proper length heel pin fitted with a proper size, type and color of top lift for each repair job that comes to hand, and requires successive replacement of these composite units each time a top lift is to be replaced.

By the present invention, original heel pins are replaced with replacement pins of comparable strength and to which top lifts can be separately attached using conventional fasteners with conventional shoe repair procedures and tools. As the top lifts are attached separately in a conventional manner, no more than a usual top lift inventory is required to handle a full range of repair jobs. In addition, the replacement pin of the present invention need not be removed each time a top lift is replaced, thereby providing a substantial saving in time and labor as well as expense, and substantially reducing the possibility of breakage of heel blocks inherent in the operation of removing heel pins from slender heel blocks.

Basically the heel pin of the present invention has a metal construction that provides strength comparable to presently available original manufacture heel pins and is characterized by a relatively thin metal sheath incasing a Wood core proportioned to extend into a heel block bore in which the pin is inserted sufiiciently to receive top lift fasteners and also to extend beyond the heel block tread end. This Wood core provides suitable material into which conventional top lift fasteners can be driven in a conventional shoe repair operation. Further, the wood core permits subsequent top lift replacements without removal of the heel pin, at most requiring only a simple replacement of the wood core, which is easily accomplished as the metal sheath surrounding the wood core provides a guide and confinement for the drill or other Patented August 2, 1965 Wood removal tool so that a true bore is formed for insertion of a replacement core.

The aforementioned proportioning of the heel pin so that the wood core extends beyond the tread end of the heel block in which it is inserted provides an extending length of heel pin against which normally available shoe repair tools may readily be directed to seat the heel pin fully in the heel block bore. This extending length also permits finishing of the heel pin flush with the heel block tread end regardless of variations in depth of insertion and inclination of tread end surfaces, thereby providing a smooth surface for proper attachment of top lifts thereto.

In the preferred embodiment, the heel pin of the pres ent invention has a solid metal shank portion of major lengthwise extent that is insertable in the heel block bore and provides a reinforcement substantially equivalent to the original heel pin. A relatively thin tubular metal sheath is carried by the shank portion and incases a wood core that is exposed at one end of the pin. This wood core is of sufficient length to receive and anchor top lift fasteners and the length of the pin exceeds the insertion depth required by the heel block bore so that upon full insertion of the pin in the bore the wood core will re main extending outwardly beyond the tread end of the heel block Further, the pin is proportioned so that the total length of the shank and sheath is not substantially greater than the insertion depth with the result that the metal portions of the pin will be substantially fully seated in the bore at the tread end of the heel block. To provide sufiicient fastener receiving area of wood core, the diameter of the sheath is formed larger than the original diameter of the heel block bore and therefore the bore is preferably enlarged for a depth sufficient to receive the sheath.

In an alternative embodiment, the heel pin of the present invention comprises a length of wood doweling incased in a relatively thin metal sheath that extends throughout the length of the doweling to provide a reinforcernent of the heel block comparable to the original heel pin. The wood doweling and incasing metal sheath exceed in length the intended insertion depth to provide an extending length for the same purposes as in the above described prefer-red embodiment. In addition, the sheath is crimped inwardly at its ends, not only to facilitate insertion of the pin into the bore but also to strengthen the end of the pin against which the driving force is applied to avoid damage thereto. In this embodiment the extending end of the pin is conveniently removed by first scoring the metal sheath adjacent the tread end of the heel block by a tool, such as a nipper, and then cropping off the extending end of the pin before grading flush with the tread end of the heel block.

As described above, the heel pin and method of using the heel pin of the present invention are especially applicable in replacing originally installed heel pins. However, this invention is applicable as well to use as an original heel pin itself, in which case there is no need subsequently to remove the heel pin when replacing a top lift.

The various features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of a portion of a ladies shoe, showing a heel block having a heel pin of original installation therein prior to replace ment with a heel pin of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 after the originally installed heel pin has been removed and the heel block bore enlarged to a limited depth to receive the heel pin of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the heel pin inserted in the heel block bore with the extending end of the wood core being ground by a grinding wheel to grade the core flush with the tread end of the heel block; FIG. 4 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 3 after the heel pin has been inserted and graded and a top lift secured thereto by fasteners;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a pin of an alternate embodiment of the present invention inserted in an enlarged heel block bore and being scored by nippers preparatory to cropping the extending end of the pin adjacent the tread end of the heel block;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, showing the heel block and heel pin with a top lift attached thereto by fasteners;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the heel pin of the preferred embodiment of the present invention included in the illustration of FIGS. 3 and 4; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view, partially in section, of a heel pin of the alternate embodiment of the present invention included in the illustration of FIGS. 5 and 6.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein a ladies shoe 10 of the type having a slender or so-called spike heel 12 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6. This very slender heel block 12 has a top lift 14 secured thereto at the tread end 16 thereof. Due to the slenderness of this heel block 12 it is conventional practice in original manufacture to drive a long, metal, nail-like heel pin 18 into the major length of the heel block 12 from the tread end 16 thereof. This heel pin 18 has a head end 20 that is usually embedded or otherwise attached to the top lift 14.

Due to the fact that the heel pin 18 is embedded in the top lift 14 and due to the fact that the metal construction of the heel pin would prevent top lift fasteners from being secured thereto, it is necessary to remove the heel pin 18 and replace it with a different type of pin whenever the top lift 14 must be replaced. A particularly expedient method and means for extracting heel pins of this type is disclosed and claimed in copending US. patent application Serial No. 155,987, filed November 30, 1961, entitled Heel Pin Extracting Means, now Patent No. 3,083,385.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a heel .pin 24 of the type illustrated in FIG. 7 is inserted in the bore 22 of the heel block 12 previously occupied by the original heel pin 18. This heel pin 24 has a solid metal shank portion 26 that extends the major length of the pin 24 and has a knurled surface 28 to enhance securement of the pin 24 in the bore 22 of the heel block 12. The shank portion 26 is provided with a tapered tip 30 at one end to facilitate insertion in the bore 22. At the opposite end 32 the pin is provided with a relatively thin, tubular sheath portion 34 of slightly enlarged diam eter as compared with the diameter of the shank portion 26. The sheath portion 34 incases a wood core 36 that extends from within the sheath outwardly therebeyond as at 38.

This heel pin 24 of the preferred embodiment is proportioned so that the aggregate length of the shank portion 26 and sheath portion 34 is not substantially greater than the intended depth of insertion of the pin 24 into the bore 22 of the heel block 12, but the total length of the pin 24, including the extending length 38 of wood core 36, is greater than the intended depth of insertion.

This proportioning results in the shank portion 26 and sheath portion 34 being substantially fully seated within the bore 22 upon insertion and with the extending length 38 of the wood core 36 extending beyond the thread end 16 of the heel block 12 to permit driving insertion of the heel pin with conventional tools and to permit subsequent finishing of the pin flush with the heel block tread end.

The heel pin 24 is also preferably proportioned with a shank portion diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the original heel pin 18 so that the shank portion 26 can be inserted in the existing bore 22 without modification of either the bore size or the shank portion diameter. However, to provide a cross-sectional area of sufficient size to receive top lift fasteners the diameter of the sheath portion 34 is preferably enlarged with respect to the shank portion 26 and bore 22, requiring enlargement of the end of the bore 22 as indicated at 40 in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The length of the sheath portion 34 should preferably be suificient to accommodate an incased length of wood core long enough to receive the usual length of top lift fasteners 50 as indicated in FIG. 4.

The method of inserting the heel pin 24 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the bore 22 of a heel block 12 is illustrated diagrammatically in FIGS. 1 through 4. First of all, the original heel pin 18 and top lift 14 are removed as, for example, by using the heel pin extracting means disclosed and claimed in the previously mentioned Patent No. 3,083,385.

The enlarged bore portion 40 at the tread end 16 of the heel block bore 22 is then formed by advancing a drill 42 or reamer into the bore 22 to the desired depth.

The heel pin 24 is then inserted and driven into the bore 22 as by a hammer or other available tool until the pin is fully seated in the bore with the sheath portion 34 seated in the enlargement 40. In this position the extending length 38 of the wood core 36 extends outwardly beyond the tread end 16 of the heel block 12. This extending length 38 is then graded as by a grinding wheel 46 (FIG. 3) until it is flush with the tread end 16 of the heel block 12.

After grading, a new top lift 48 is attached to the tread end 16 of the heel block using conventional fasteners 50 that are driven through the top lift 48 into the Wood core 36. This can be accomplished using a device such as that disclosed and claimed in copending US. patent application Serial No. 34,530, filed June 7, 1960, entitled Heel Attaching Means, now Patent No. 3,034,130, granted May 15, 1962.

When it is desired to replace the new top lift 48 it can be easily done by removing the top lift 48 and fasteners 50, and drilling out the wood core 36 without having to remove the heel pin 24, as is necessary with an original heel pin 18. The drilling of the wood core 36 is substantially facilitated by the metal sheath portion 34, which acts as a guide for the drill. A new wood core is inserted in the sheath 34 and graded and is then ready to receive a new top lift and fasteners.

An alternate embodiment of the heel pin of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 8, in which the heel pin is seen to comprise an inner wood doweling 82 incased in a metal sheath 84 that extends the full length of the wood doweling 82. This sheath 84 is made of relatively thin metal and is split longitudinally as indicated at 86 for ease of manufacture. The ends 88 of the metal sheath 84 are crimped inwardly to facilitate insertion in the heel block bore at one end and to strengthen the other end at which the driving force is applied. This alternate heel pin 80 is proportioned to be of a length greater than the desired insertion depth, and the diameter of the heel pin 80 is greater than the diameter of the original pin 18 so as to provide adequate cross-sectional area for receipt of top lift fasteners.

The method of inserting the heel pin 80 of the alternate embodiment in a heel block 12 is indicated diagrammatically in FIGS. 5 and 6 following removal of the original pin 18 from the heel block 12 as described above in connection with the preferred embodiment. The heel block bore is enlarged throughout its length to form the enlarged bore 90 of FIG. 5 to receive the heel pin 80, which is then inserted and driven into the enlarged bore 90 with an end 92 extending outwardly from the tread end 16 of the heel block 12. This extending end 92 is then removed by scoring the metal sheath 84 at the tread end 16 of the heel block 12 using nippers 94 or any other available tool and cropping the pin at the scoring. The cropped end is then graded to be flush with the heel block tread end 16. A top lift 96 is then secured to the flush heel pin and heel block tread end using fasteners 98 secured in the wood doweling 82 of the heel pin 80 in a manner as indicated above in the description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

By way of examples for carrying out the present invention, the following constructions are set out:

Example A.-This is a steel heel pin of the type illustrated in FIG. 7. It has an overall length of 2 inches with a shank portion 1% inches long and approximately inch in diameter. The sheath portion is /8 inch long, inch in diameter and having a wall thickness of & inch. The Wood core is /8 inch long, extending 3 inch beyond the sheath portion, and is inch in diameter. The tip of the shank is tapered at a angle and to a inch diameter.

Example B.This heel pin 80 is of the type illustrated in FIG. 8. It has a Wood doweling 2 inches long and inch in diameter prior to being incased in the metal sheath, which is formed to a diameter of about inch from stock & inch thick. Each end of the sheath is crimped at a 30 angle for approximately ,4, of an inch.

The difference in the length of the heel pins of the above examples is due to their each being proportioned for a different heel block size range and it is understood that the dimensions of each of these pins can be varied to proportion the pins to fit any normal size of heel block.

The present invention has been described above in detail for purposes of illustration only and it is not intended that the scope of the present invention be limited in any way by this disclosure except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A heel pin structure for reinforcing a heel block by insertion of said pin into a bore in the heel block, said pin structure comprising a relatively thin metal sheath incasing a wood core, with the wood core exposed endwise of said sheath, and of sufiicient length for anchoring insertion of top lift fasteners therein, and with the length of said pin structure exceeding the insertion depth in said bore in the heel block to be reinforced. 2. A heel pin structure for reinforcing a heel block by insertion of said pin into a bore in the heel block, said pin structure comprising a metal heel reinforcing portion extending substantially the full length of insertion of the pin in the heel block with the pin structure being of a length greater than the length of insertion, said pin structure including a relatively thin metal sheath incasing a wood core that extends beyond the insertion length of the pin structure with the wood core exposed endwise of said sheath, said wood core extendinto the insertion length of the pin structure sufliciently for anchoring insertion of top lift fasteners therein.

3. A heel pin structure adapted for use in replacing original heel pins upon removal thereof from the bores of the heel blocks of ladies shoes in the course of shoe repair operations, said heel pin structure comprising a metal heel reinforcing portion extending substantially the full length of insertion of the pin in the heel block bore from which the original pin has been removed with the pin structure being of a length greater than the length of insertion, said metal portion including a relatively thin metal sheath of a diameter greater than the original diameter of the heel block bore and incasing a wood core that extends beyond the insertion length of the pin structure and is exposed endwise of said sheath, said wood core extending into the insertion length of the pin structure sufficiently for anchoring insertion of top lift fasteners therein.

4. A heel pin structure adapted for use in replacing original heel pins upon removal thereof from the bores of the heel blocks of ladies shoes in the course of shoe repair operations, said heel pin structure comprising a solid metal shank poltion of major lengthwise extent, and a relatively thin tubular metal sheath carried by said shank portion and incasing a wood core that is exposed endwise of said sheath and of suflicient length for anchoring insertion of top lift fasteners therein, the length of said pin structure exceeding the insertion depth required by the heel block bore from which the original heel pin to be replaced has been removed and the length of the shank portion being less than said insertion depth.

5. A heel pin structure according to claim 4 and characterized further in that the diameter of said metal shank corresponds to the original diameter of the heel block bore and the diameter of said metal sheath is greater than the original diameter of the heel block bore for seating of the sheath in an enlargement to be formed in said bore.

6. A heel pin structure according to claim 4 and characterized further in that the aggregate length of the shank and sheath does not substantially exceed the insertion depth, and the wood core extends outwardly beyond the end of the sheath and inwardly within the insertion length of the pin a distance sufficient to receive top lift fasteners upon removal of the length of core extending beyond the insertion length.

7. A heel pin structure adapted for use in replacing original heel pins upon removal thereof from the bores of the heel blocks of ladies shoes in the course of shoe repair operations, said heel pin structure comprising a length of wood doweling exceeding in length the insertion depth required by the heel block bore from which the original heel pin to be replaced has been removed, and a relatively thin metal sheath incasing said doweling throughout the length thereof and crimped inwardly at the ends thereof.

8. A heel pin structure according to claim 7 and characterized further in that the diameter of the heel pin exceeds the original diameter of the heel block bore to provide an enlarged cross-sectional area of wood core sufiicient to receive a plurality of top lift fasteners.

August 3, 1955.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner. EDWARD V. BENHAM, Examiner. P. D. LAWSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HEEL PIN STRUCTURE FOR REINFORCING A HEEL BLOCK BY INSERTION OF SAID PIN INTO A BORE IN THE HEEL BLOCK, SAID PIN STRUCTURE COMPRISING A RELATIVELY THIN METAL SHEATH INCASING A WOOD CORE, WITH THE WOOD CORE EXPOSED ENDWISE OF SAID SHEATH, AND OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH FOR ANCHORING INSERTION OF TOP LIFT FASTENERS THEREIN, AND WITH THE LENGTH OF SAID PIN STRUCTURE EXCEEDING THE INSERTION DEPTH IN SAID BORE IN THE HEEL BLOCK TO BE IN REINFORCED. 